


Prompt: Achilles Heel

by respoftw



Series: Comfortween 2020 [13]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:00:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26951800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/respoftw/pseuds/respoftw
Summary: Rodney twists his ankle and John suddenly turns into a regency gentleman.
Relationships: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard
Series: Comfortween 2020 [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947178
Comments: 24
Kudos: 97
Collections: Comfortween 2020





	Prompt: Achilles Heel

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a list of prompts for “Comfortween” [on dreamwidth](https://hurtcomfortex.dreamwidth.org/22946.html)
> 
> 13\. Achilles Heel  
> Helping someone with a twisted ankle or other leg/foot injury.

It was typical, Rodney thought, that if he was going to fall and twist his ankle while on a mission it would be two miles from the gate on bumpy, uneven terrain.He was just lucky that the planet they were on was uninhabited and that there was no one to shoot at them as he limped his way slowly home.

“Are you sure you can’t build me a stretcher from these twigs?” Rodney complained.

“I’m not carrying you, McKay,” Ronon said, from his position on their six.

“I’m not that heavy,” Rodney said, wincing as he put too much weight on the bad ankle.

“Give me your damn arm, Rodney.”

Rodney startled as John grabbed his elbow, steadying him. 

“What are you doing?”

Teyla answered for John.“I believe he is giving you his arm,” she said, her voice full of amusement.

“What, like I’m some 19th century Jane Austen heroine who turned her ankle at the country dance?” Rodney gaped, seemingly not noticing that he’d already linked his arm around John’s offered elbow and was moving much easier.

“Just call me Darcy,” John drawled. 

That started a lively debate over the merits of the Austen leading men, the only thing they could agree on being that John was, in no way, a Darcy.

* * *

Carson let him out the infirmary after wrapping his ankle, giving him a blister pack of ibuprofen that would last him a day and some beeis root to chew for when the ibuprofen ran out.

John was waiting outside, his arm extended.

“Allow me to escort you to your rooms?” he offered, mock politely.

“Make it the labs and it’s a deal,” Rodney said, grabbing hold.

* * *

It became a thing, after that.Whenever Rodney found himself having to move - the labs to the mess hall to the conference room to the labs - John was there with his ridiculous elbow.

Rodney took it every time, a little thrill of something running through him every time.He was pretty sure everyone in Atlantis thought it was a ridiculous ‘bit’, some running joke that inspired indulgent smiles as they made their way slowly around Atlantis.

It wasn’t a bit; not to Rodney.It was...John’s arm was strong, his body was warm and every second Rodney spent walking that close together, leaning his weight ever so slightly against John and having John not even blink at the extra weight...it was hell, it was heaven, it was torture, it was pleasure.The way that John always held on for a second too long, Rodney suspected that he wasn’t the only one who didn’t consider this a joke.

Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.

* * *

“Ready?”

Rodney had woken up this morning to realise his ankle was fully healed.When John appeared at his door with an outstretched arm and a smile, Rodney seriously considered faking the limp. Just for a moment.

“Ankle’s all better,” he said instead.

“Oh.” The flash of disappointment on John’s face was enough for Rodney to be quietly confident that his supposition has been more than just wishful thinking.

“How about we do this instead?” he said, hesitantly holding out his hand.

John looked at the offered hand.He looked and didn’t move and Rodney realised that he’d read this all wrong, he’d fucked up the best friendship he’d ever had and - -

Oh.

John’s hand slipped into his own, a caress, a soft touch that Rodney felt in his toes.John’s long fingers tangled with Rodney’s own, gun callouses rubbing across the sensitive skin.

Rodney laughed, slightly breathless from nothing more than holding hands.

“I think we might need to revisit the Darcy thing.”


End file.
